Integrated Control in Citrus Fruit Crops - IOBC-WPRS

Integrated Control in Citrus Fruit Crops
IOBC wprs Bulletin Vol. 29(3) 2006
Population dynamics and specific composition of phytoseiid mites
(Parasitiformes, Phytoseiidae) associated with lemon trees in three
differently managed orchards in eastern Sicily
Haralabos Tsolakis 1 , Salvatore Ragusa 1 , Filadelfo Conti 1,2 , Riccardo Tumminelli 1,2 ,
Giancarlo Perrotta 3 , Ernesto Raciti 2
1
Dipartimento S.EN.FI.MI.ZO. Sezione Entomologia, Acarologia e Zoologia, Università di
Palermo, Viale delle Scienze 13, 90128 Palermo. E-mail: tsolakis@unipa.it
2
OMP, Servizio fitosanitario, Assessorato Agricoltura e Foreste, Regione Siciliana, C.so
Umberto 114, 95024, Acireale, Catania
3 Servizi allo Sviluppo, Distretto Siracusa, Assessorato Agricoltura e Foreste, Regione
Siciliana, Via Teracati 39, 96100 Siracusa
Abstract: Surveys of phytoseiid mites were carried out in three lemon orchards in Sicily. The three
orchards had different farm management and different environmental conditions: A) traditionally farm
managed; B) organic farm managed; C) in state of neglect. The aim was to determine the specific
composition of the above different types of orchards and to compare their population dynamics in
order to obtain information on the influence of the different agricultural practices on the phytoseiid
fauna. After two years of weekly samplings it can be assessed that no substancial differences were
found in the phytoseiid specific composition among the three types of orchards. On the other hand,
differences, sometimes remarkable ones, were found as far as concerns the role of the various species
in the three orchards and in the various seasons. Iphiseius degenerans Berlese, Amblyseius andersoni
(Chant) and Euseius stipulatus (Athias-Henriot) were present in the three orchards, Typhlodromus
cryptus Athias-Henriot was found in A and B orchards, while Cydnodromus californicus (McGregor)
was found only in orchard C. In orchard A the dominant species was A. andersoni (48%), followed by
I. degenerans (44%) and E. stipulatus (7%). The first and the last species were present esclusively in
the winter-spring period, while I. degenerans was the only species present in summer. On the contrary,
in orchard B, the dominant species was I. degenerans (69%), present in all seasons, followed by A.
andersoni and E. stipulatus (16 and 14% respectively). These latter ones were found exclusively in
spring. In orchard C the dominant species was E. stipulatus (58%) mainly present in the hot seasons,
followed by I. degenerans (38%) and A. andersoni (3%).